68% digitisation of the Cable TV households done in 4 metros

New Delhi: The Information and Broadcasting Ministry Monday said 68 percent digitisation of the Cable TV households has been completed in the four metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.

The ministry is aiming at completing digitisation of cable sector in the four metros by October 31 and in the rest of the country by December 2014.

"A recent review of the digitisation progress by the I & B Ministry has revealed that 68 percent Cable TV digitisation has already been achieved in the four metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai," a ministry statement said.

It claimed that city wise, the achievement of digitisation in Mumbai is 95 percent, in Kolkata 67 percent, in Delhi 53 percent and in Chennai 49 percent.

Officials said installation of Set Top Boxes in Cable TV homes is one of the most crucial pre-conditions for the digital switch over and with just six weeks remaining, the ministry was constantly reviewing the progress.

The ministry said that as per 2011 census data, the average TV penetration in the four metros is about 80 percent.

According to the census data, of the 103.76 lakh households in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai, 82.59 lakh have TV sets of which 25.59 lakh households have Direct To Home (DTH) connection.

The ministry said out of the 68.40 lakh cable subscribers who needed set top boxes in the four metros, 46.71 lakh households have already got them, marking 68 percent coverage.

The achievement of digitisation will go up to 77 percent if figures of 25.59 lakh households that already have Direct To Home (DTH) connection are added, the ministry said.

Officials said while the ministry had been earlier estimating the extent of digitisation on industry figures, it was now doing so on the more reliable census data.

The I&B ministry is also launching a publicity campaign in electronic and print media to take awareness to the doorsteps of people.

Senior officials of the ministry have said that the October 31 deadline for digitisation of Cable TV in the four metros will not be extended. It has already been postponed one by four months from June 30 to October 31, they said.